This is one of my favorite subject’s to teaching on. Winning!
That’s right. God made us to be winners. We are created in His image and there is no better example of living in victory than Him.
“Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? 36 It is exactly as the Scriptures say,
“For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way to be butchered.”
37 In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38 I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” Romans 8:35-39 ERV
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what it means to have “won more than a victory” or as the King James version of the Bible says, more than conquerors? I have and the answer is thrilling.
I asked the Lord to show me a few examples of people who were more than conquerors in the Bible. So let me share them with you, in no particular order.
King Jehoshaphat led his people into battle, singing and God miraculously ambushed his enemy. The battle was won without firing an arrow.
“Early the next morning, Jehoshaphat’s army went out into the desert of Tekoa. As they marched out, Jehoshaphat stood there saying, “Listen to me, men of Judah and Jerusalem. Have faith in the Lord your God, and you will stand strong! Have faith in his prophets, and you will succeed!”
21 Jehoshaphat encouraged the men and gave them instructions. Then he had the Temple singers stand up in their special clothes to praise the Lord. They marched in front of the army and sang,
“Give thanks to the Lord!
His faithful love will last forever.”
22 As they began to sing and to praise God, the Lord set an ambush for the army from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come to attack Judah. The enemy was defeated!” II Chronicles 20:20-22 ERV
Then there were the 4 lepers who won a great victory against the Aramean king.
“There were four men sick with leprosy near the city gate. They said to each other, “Why are we sitting here waiting to die? 4 There is no food in Samaria. If we go into the city, we will die there. If we stay here, we will also die. So let’s go to the Aramean camp. If they let us live, we will live. If they kill us, we will just die.”
5 So that evening the four lepers went to the Aramean camp. When they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! 6 The Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a large army. So the soldiers said to each other, “The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to come against us.”
7 The Arameans ran away early that evening. They left everything behind. They left their tents, horses, and donkeys and ran for their lives.” II Kings 7:3-7 ERV
We’ve already talked about Daniel who was victorious in the lions den and the three Jewish men who walked around in the fiery furnace.
Being more than a conqueror is like being an heir to a fortune you didn’t work to build.
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” Romans 8:16-17 NIV
The Apostle Paul learned how to be victorious. He is the one who said we are more than conquerors. When he faced hardship, he recognized that he was unable to secure the victory on his own and he said this:
“He answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me. 10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 NLV
Jesus won the victory for us. He defeated death, the greatest enemy, when He rose from the grave. He defeated Satan and his powers of darkness.
“O death, where is your victory? Where is your power to hurt?” 56 Death’s power to hurt is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But we thank God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.” I Corinthians 15:55-58 ERV
Our victory doesn’t come from our great abilities, power or intelligence. We are winning because of the inheritance we have in Christ.
“ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory through Christ. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume.” II Corinthians 2:14 ERV
Welcome to the Winners Circle!